Sunday, July 11, 2010

I made this macaroni salad for the Fourth of July. I wanted to make some classic picnic foods & this recipe came to mind. Like most Macaroni salad recipes, this one is super basic. Yet, a bit un-traditional, with the use of red onion & parsley.It's a perfect make ahead side dish & can be chilled for up to two days.Begin by prepping some of the salad ingredients. Finely dice half of a small red onion & one rib of celery. Add them to a mixing bowl.To them, add 1 tablespoon each of Dijon mustard & freshly squeezed lemon juice {I used a basic mild yellow mustard, because that's what I had on hand}.Add a 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, an 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder & a pinch of cayenne.Stir it all up.Next, boil 1 pound of elbow macaroni, according to the package instructions, one minute less than aldente. Drain the pasta & rinse with cold water. Add it to the mixing bowl & stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes, to allow the flavors to meld.Stir in 1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise, stir well and season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of salted water, until 1 minute less than aldente. Drain & rinse under cold water. Set aside.In a mixing bowl, combine the red onion, celery, parsley, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder & cayenne. Add the macaroni & stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes, for the flavors to meld. Add the mayonnaise, stir well and season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 days. Click here for the printable recipe.